State-owned palm oil plantation and agribusiness company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IV PalmCo provided bread and cake production training to 50 participants to improve their skills and encourage the development of home businesses.
The 50 participants consisted of micro, small, and medium enterprises , housewives, productive-age youth, company partners, and representatives of inclusive foundations.
"For us, the distribution of this TJSL assistance is a corporate social investment to build community independence," said PalmCo President Director Jatmiko K Santosa in a statement received .
The training, titled Baking Class 2026, is part of the Social and Environmental Responsibility Program, which focuses on increasing the economic capacity of communities around the company's operational areas.
Jatmiko hopes that the skills acquired by participants can be developed into business products and a sustainable source of income for families.
He said that increasing human resource capacity plays a crucial role in strengthening family economic resilience, particularly in areas surrounding the company's operational areas.
Participants in the training came from MSMEs fostered by Rumah BUMN Pabatu, the Khadijah Sharaswaty Foundation, and the general public in North Sumatra. The training also involved participants from Sulawesi to expand the program's reach.
The training was guided by Chef Syamsuddin and his team of mentors using hands-on practical methods, starting from weighing and mixing ingredients, processing and fermenting dough, shaping products, to baking techniques.
The three products tested were Polo Boy bread, pepperoni pizza, and pao. Participants also received training on quality control, maintaining product consistency, and analyzing market opportunities in their respective areas.
After the training, participants are encouraged to form independent business groups, strengthen collaboration between fostered partners, and utilize digital marketing to ensure their products have wider market access.
One of the participants, Winy, said that the training material could be directly practiced at home and also serve as provisions for starting a business that could increase family income.
